All this talk of arming teachers has to stop

Enough is enough. All this talk about arming professional educators with deadly weapons has simply got to stop – can’t we leave these poor folks alone, and let them get back to writing checks for classroom supplies from their own personal bank accounts in peace? Must we burden them with more unreasonable demands, and send them flocking in droves once and for all to different occupations with less stress and better pay?

Unfortunately, it appears that proponents of this bizarre idea are not going away easily. All they are missing at this point is some type of testosterone-fueled slogan, like “Drop the chalk – grab the Glock!” If they are truly bent on persisting with this argument, it’s time for them to do some explaining. Let’s start with the following inquiries, which are mere grains of sand in an ocean of uncertainty:

What will be the criterion for determining whether a teacher is technically qualified to discharge a weapon in a classroom, and what priority are the teacher’s firearm-related qualifications given among the pool of applicants, as opposed to his or her teaching credentials? Does the Americans with Disabilities Act preclude a school from refusing to hire a teacher because he or she is not physically able to discharge a weapon? Who will be in charge of setting strict guidelines as to when the weapon may be engaged? Will the teacher be subject to the same “shoot to kill” requirements as police? What sort of mental health history will disqualify a teacher from carrying a firearm – which would, in turn, potentially disqualify him or her from a teaching position? What pharmacologic agents may a teacher be prescribed and still be certified to carry a weapon in the classroom?

Will any insurance carrier be willing to provide liability coverage to schools for the negligent acts of firearm-wielding educators? If so, how will our cash-strapped school districts pay for the coverage? What research supports that a teacher with a handgun will dissuade a suicidal attacker from carrying out his plan? Do teachers have a right to demand an assault weapon if they are going to engage an assailant who is armed with one? Will universities be required to implement firearms training in their education curriculum? Will there be pay incentives for teachers willing to risk their lives to protect their students from crazed attackers? Will these incentives be stripped if the teacher fails to follow-through in the event of an attack? Must teachers who are unable or unwilling to operate a firearm in the classroom be given access to these same incentives through different performance metrics? How will we pay for all these new incentives, when we can’t give our teachers ordinary cost-of-living increases?

Shouldn’t public universities arm their professors as well? If not, are college students being stripped of their constitutional rights to equal protection under the law? Do parents have a right to challenge a teacher’s standing to carry a weapon, given the implications? Must parents be given the right to remove their child from a firearm-enhanced classroom? Will teachers be given complete civil immunity for acts or omissions arising out of their protection of students, and if so, must police officers be afforded the same on equal protection grounds?

Will armed teachers be subject to routine physicals and mental health screening, and will any adverse determinations be subject to administrative appeal? What type of legal immunity will be provided for these determinations? Will the increased costs to our schools and our courts be justified as weighed against the perceived benefits? How can we possibly track the efficacy of this program in preventing future attacks? What mechanisms will be put in place to protect students from their own teachers? Who will be granted access to the keys or security code for the secured weapons? How often will this list be reviewed?

One final one: How many promising teachers will be deterred from entering the profession, once firearms enter the equation?

Once proponents of this measure can answer the above questions in satisfactory fashion, there will be a new list waiting for them. It’s time to put this distraction behind us for good. Talk of arming teachers has got to stop.

This story was originally published April 8, 2018 at 5:04 PM with the headline "All this talk of arming teachers has to stop."